Variational Dimension Lifting for Robust Tracking of Nonlinear Stochastic Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a variational dimension lifting framework that transforms nonlinear stochastic models into higher-dimensional linear Gaussian systems, enabling more stable and accurate Bayesian tracking.

Contribution

It develops a novel invertible transformation approach using Ito's lemma and variational calculus to improve nonlinear stochastic motion tracking.

Findings

Transformed linear systems accurately reconstruct nonlinear dynamics.

Method achieves tracking accuracy comparable to conventional filters.

Approach avoids structural instabilities of traditional nonlinear filters.

Abstract

Nonlinear stochastic motion presents significant challenges for Bayesian particle tracking. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a framework to construct an invertible transformation that maps the nonlinear state-space model (SSM) into a higher-dimensional linear Gaussian SSM. This approach allows the application of standard linear-Gaussian inference techniques while maintaining a connection to the dynamics of the original system. The paper derives the necessary conditions for such transformations using Ito's lemma and variational calculus, and illustrates the method on a bistable cubic motion model, radial Brownian process model, and a logistic model with multiplicative noise. Simulations confirm that the transformed linear systems, when projected back, accurately reconstruct the nonlinear dynamics and, in distinct regimes of stiffness and singularity, yield tracking accuracy competitive with conventional filters, while avoiding their structural instabilities.